Improvement in fire-extinguishers



` 'UNITED STATES yPATENT rrcn.

l JACOB B. vAN DYNE, or COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.v

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-EXTINGUISHERS.

-Speciication forming part of Letters Patent No. l 09,976, datedDecember 6, 1870.

To all whom 'it may concern V Be it known that I, JACOB B. VAN DYNE, ofCovington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have inventedcertain new and vuseful Improvements in Fire-Extinguishers; and I do,hereby declare'the following to bea full and exact description thereof,reference being -had to the accompanying drawing, making part of thisspecification, and to the figures and letters marked thereon.

This invention relates to an improvement on my fire-extinguisherpatented July l2, 1870; and consists in the peculiar construction andarrangement of the cartridge containing the acid-bottles, theconstruction of the Stoppers of these bottles, andthe construction andarrangement of the operating-plunger, and has for its .object theproduction of a more secure and complete cartridgeone that is capable ofbeing easily inserted and removed from 'the reservoir, and which isprovided with stoppers impervious to the action of the acids containedin the acid-bottles.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l represents a longitudinal verticalsection of the cartridge of my improved nre-extinguisher, with theplungerand Stoppers removed. Figs. 2 and 3 represent similar viewsof thestoppers and the thumb-screw ofthe plunger. Fig. 4 is a side elevationof the operating-plunger and a sectional view of the cartridge-cap. Fig.

5 is a longitudinal vertical sectionof the cartridge with the plungerand Stoppers inserted. Fig. Gis an elevation of the cartridge complete;and Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical section of the reservoir, with thecartridge inserted and hose attached. Y

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The casing or reservoir A is made of any suitable material strong enoughto withstand the pressure to which it may be subjected, and may be ofany suitable form, preferably that of a cylinder. The top a of thereservoir is made concave, and is placed below the casing suiicientlyfar to admit of the apparatus being stood on its head without any of itsparts coming in contact with the ground. In the center of this concavetop is a circular open- Iing for the admission of the cartridge, whichis secured therein by its cap C, the, screwthreads c on the outside' ofthev same entering corresponding threads in the sides of said opening.

The cartridge consists of the casing B, with its legs or external tubesb b, center tube D, cap C, plunger E, stirrup F, Stoppers Gr G,thumb-screw e', and rubber band H', with its clevises h h. The centertube D runs the entire length of the case B, and forms an annularchamber, running the entire length of the same. This annular chamber isoccupied by the two acid-bottles HH, made of strong glass, and segmentalinform, which are placed in the case B, so as to surround .the tube D,and have their necks to pass into the external tubes b b. After beingthus inserted the upper pory tion of the case B is filled with asuitable hydraulic cement,'which' cements the bottles solidly in thecase. The upper end d of the center tube I) is made wide, and itsvinterior provided with screw-threads to receive the screw c of the capC, and holds it inposition on top of the case B. The screw-plunger E ismade larger in its center than at either end,- thereby forming theshoulders e e,`the lower oneof which drives down the stirrup F, whilethe upper prevents the plungerfrom being screwed up out of its scat inthe cap G. The plunger E is run down through the center tube D andthrough the cap C,.where the screw-threads on its neck engage with thethreads in the center of the cap. The top of t e plunger E is providedwith the knob I, anl its end is threaded, so as to form the screw e,which passes through au opening in the center ot' the stirrup F, and isprovided with the thumbscrew e.

vThe Stoppers of the acid-bottles consist of the lead shell J, bolt j,and rubber plugs K K. The bolts j are provided with heads, (other thanround,) and the lead shells J are cast upon them, as shown. The otherends of the bolts j pass up through the center ot' the rubberplugs K K,and pass through holes in each end of the stirrup, and are securedtherein 'by means of the nuts i t'. It is obvious that as these nuts areturned the rubber plugs K K will be drawn up against the under side ofthe stirrup F, and swollen out in the lead shells J J. My object inconstructing the Stoppers in this manner is to render them impervious tothe action of the acid in the bottle by means of their lead shells orcoating, and to give the shells a certain amount of elasticity by meansof their rubber fillings or plugs K K.

The stirrup F is placed over the mouths of the acid-bottles in suchmanner that the stoppers'G G will enter the same, and be held therein bymeans of the rubber band H and thumbscrew e.

The extension c of the cap C forms a packiing-chamber, m, for theplunger, which is inclosed by the screw-cap M.

When the cartridge is complete, primed, and ready for use, it presentsthe appearance 'shown in Fig. 6.

flhe operation of myinventionlis as follows: The cartridge being primedby tillin g the bottles with the acid, and the reservoir with watercontaining the proper solvents, the cartridge is inserted in thereservoir, and screwed down into the concave -top a. The plunger E isthen screwed down, by means of its knob I, until its lower shoulder epresses against the stirrup F, forces the Stoppers out of the acidy Inall fire-extinguishers .otherthan those of my invention, great troubleand care are required to preserve the bottles containing thegas-generating acids, and much delay occurs in priming the apparatuswith the same. In myre-extinguishers the cartridges are always primed,and one can be used while another is being reprimed. They are strong,durable, and free from all liability to injury, and will last as long asany other part of the-apparatus.

Having thus fully described the nature and operation of my invention,what .I claim asl new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The cartridge consisting of the case or cup B, provided with thecenter tube D and external tubes I) b., constructed and arranged incombination with the acid-bottles H H, in the manner and for the purposeherein set forth and described.

2. The cartridge-cap C, provided with the tubular screw-extensions c c,the upper portion of the extension c being beveled on its interior, soas to form the packing-chamber fm, and provided with the screw-cap M,all arranged and operating as herein set forth, and for the purposesdescribed.

3. In combination with the cap G, the screwplunger E, constructed andarranged as herein shown, for t-he purpose of operating the Stoppers ofthe acid-bottles by means of the stirrup F and thumb-screw e, in themanner described.

4. The acid-proof Stoppers G, consisting of the lead shells J,screwbolts j, and rubber plugs or cores K, connected and operating withthe stirrup F, in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth 'anddescribed.

`5. The convex ytop a of the reservoir A, that it may serve as afunnelto assist in lling the same, and admit of the apparatus being stood onits head to protect the cartridge from being disturbed, as herein shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing improvement in ireextinguishersI have hereunto rset my hand this 17th day of August, 1870. Y

JACOB B. VAN DYNE.

Witnesses .l i

GEO. W. McGILL, J ogHN W. McGILL.

